ACIDS, BASES, AND SALTS

 Compounds are pure substances composed of two or more elements combined chemically.
 The elements come in fixed whole number proportions and can be represented by a chemical formula.
 These pure substances can be grouped as acids, bases, and salts.

Properties of Acids
1. They tend to form hydrogen ions (H+) when dissolved in water.
2. Most acid formulas start with H as in H2CO3 (carbonic acid), HCl (hydrochloric acid), HC2H3O2 (acetic acid,
but can also be written as CH3COOH).
3. They react with active metals to form hydrogen gas.
4. They taste sour (but not all acids are advised to be tasted).
5. They turn blue litmus paper to red.
6. They turn bromothymol blue to yellow.
7. They are corrosive materials.
8. Their pH value is less than 7 (pH stands for power of hydrogen).

Properties of Bases
1. They tend to form hydroxide ions (OH-) when dissolved in water.
2. Most base formulas end with OH as in Mg(OH) 2 (magnesium hydroxide), Al(OH)3 (aluminum hydroxide)
and NaOH (sodium hydroxide).
3. They are not reactive to metals.
4. They taste bitter (but not all bases are advised to be tasted).
5. They turn red litmus paper to blue.
6. Bromothymol blue retains its color when added to a base.
7. They are corrosive materials.
8. They feel slippery when in contact to the skin.
9. Their pH value us greater than 7 (pH stands for power of hydrogen).

Neutralization
 This refers to the reaction between an acid and a base.
 The end products would be salt and water. A salt is any compound made up of a metallic ion (cation)
and a non-metallic ion (anion).
 The following chemical equation is a good example of neutralization.

𝑯𝑪𝒍(𝒂𝒒) + 𝑵𝒂𝑶𝑯(𝒂𝒒) → 𝑵𝒂𝑪𝒍 + 𝑯𝟐 𝑶

NaCl (sodium chloride) is a salt formed when hydrochloric acid is mixed with sodium hydroxide.

 A salt is defined as any ionic compound (a compound that dissociates in water as a cation/metallic ion
and an anion/non-metallic ion) except those with hydroxide (OH-) or oxide (O-2) ions.

The pH Scale
 A scale developed by Soren Sorensen, a Swedish chemist.
 The scale represents the strength of an acid or a base based on the concentration of hydronium ions
(H3O+) in a solution. This is best represented by the following equation:

𝒑𝑯 = − 𝐥𝐨𝐠[𝑯𝟑 𝑶+ ]
Integrated Science 2
PSHS CALABARZON Region Campus Prepared by: Mr. Joni M. Albarico
  The quantity enclosed in a bracket stands for the molar concentration of hydronium ions in a solution.
Molarity is a quantity referring to the moles of solute dissolved per liters of solution. You will have a
more specific discussion on this topic in Chemistry 1 and 2 classes.
 The pH scale is a 14-point scale. The midpoint of the scale (7) is designated for neutral pH (pure water).
This value is based from the property of water to undergo autoionization (to be discussed in detail in
Chemistry 2 class)
 The pH values represent the exponent to which molar concentration is expressed.
 Therefore, each step in the pH scale represents ten-fold increase/decrease in the value of acidity or
basicity of a substance. This is because the pH scale is a logarithmic scale.
 If pH < 7, the substance is acidic.
 If pH > 7, the substance is basic.

The pOH Scale

 Counterpart of the pH Scale
 This represents the concentration of hydroxide ions in a solution as shown in the following equation:

𝒑𝑶𝑯 = − 𝐥𝐨𝐠[𝑶𝑯− ]
 It is also a 14-point scale. Like the pH scale, it is also logarithmic. Lower pOH readings indicate basic
solutions.
 If pOH < 7, the substance is basic.
 If pOH > 7, the substance is acidic.

Note:
 pH and pOH are related with each other.
 pH + pOH = 14
 Therefore, pOH = 14 – pH or pH = 14 – pOH
 Example, a substance with pH 2 has a pOH of 12.

Indicators
 These are substances that change color when added to an acid or a base.
 The colors can indicate if a substance is an acid or a base.
 The following are some of the common indicators used in the laboratory.

Indicator Color when added to acid Color when added to base

Red litmus paper Red (remains the same) Blue
Blue litmus paper Red Blue (remains the same)
Bromothymol blue Yellow to green Blue (remains the same)
Phenolphthalein Colorless Pink to purple
Methyl red Red Yellow
Red cabbage decoction Red Green

Integrated Science 2
PSHS CALABARZON Region Campus Prepared by: Mr. Joni M. Albarico
Integrated Science 2
PSHS CALABARZON Region Campus Prepared by: Mr. Joni M. Albarico